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Mayor Hancock Announces City Summer Programs for Denver Kids

Mayor Hancock Announces City Summer Programs for Denver Kids

DENVER – Mayor Michael B. Hancock and Director of Children’s Affairs Lindsay Neil today announced that the city is geared up and ready to support Denver’s families and kids this summer with programs designed to ensure Denver kids are healthy, safe and engaged while school is out.
“The city’s role in serving Denver youth truly exists when our kids are outside of that school door,” Mayor Hancock said. “With summer break fast approaching, we want to make sure our families are aware of the programs designed to support their children. That is why the city and our partners have teamed up to invest our resources in our most important assets – our children.”
The Mayor also announced six local nonprofits and two city agencies that have been awarded a total $350,000 of Measure 2A grant money to bolster their summer and afterschool programs. Solicited through a public, competitive process, the eight recipients will serve more than 1,000 Denver kids during summer break.
“We heard our community loud and clear when they asked for more supportive services for their children, and thanks to the passage of Measure 2A we can better deliver on that request. Together, with these critical nonprofit partners, we will work tirelessly throughout the summer to ensure children and youth have their basic needs met and that they are equipped with opportunities that prepare them to compete and succeed in the global economy,” the Mayor said.
From youth employment to art workshops to free access to Denver’s 25 youth-serving recreation centers, the city is offering a multitude of summer programs. Collectively, the city offers dozens of kids programs through the Office of Children’s Affairs, Department of Human Services, Department of Parks and Recreation, Office of Economic Development, Department of Environmental Health, Denver Public Libraries, Department of Safety, and Arts and Venues.
The following are some of the summer programs city departments and agencies will offer:

The MY Denver Card – Thanks to the passage of Measure 2A, all Denver children ages 5 to 18 now have free, year-round access to the city’s 25 youth-serving recreation centers and 29 pools. The card also serves as a Denver Public Library card.

Child Care Assistance Program – Denver’s Child Care Assistance Program is currently enrolling eligible children up to age 12. Measure 2A helped increase the income limits to allow more families to qualify for help.

ideaLAB – A free state-of-the art digital media lab for teens grades 6-12 at the Denver Central Library where they can learn use equipment and software to make videos, games, music, art and more.

Summer Youth Employment Program – Offered through the Denver Office of Economic Development, Division of Workforce Development, this program connects Denver youth ages 14 to 24 who meet eligibility requirements with job-readiness training and employment.

Youth Mini-Academy – Offers local youth the opportunity to learn respect for the law by providing them with positive interaction during their attendance at the Academy and to motivate young people to be outstanding citizens through law enforcement education.

CLICK HERE for a list of all summer programs.
The Denver Office of Children’s Affairs awarded a total $350,000 of 2A grant money to the six local nonprofits and two city agencies. All of the 2A funded programs will provide diverse academic and youth development activities specifically geared towards mitigating summer learning loss and keeping kids active.
“We are honored to be one of the 2A grant recipients joining the city this summer in ramping up our services to Denver’s kids,” said Molly Calhoun, Bridge Project Executive Director. “These monies will allow our organization to expand summer youth programming from a half-day to full-day, five days a week for eight weeks. It will also give us an opportunity to add a new middle school component with daily academic, technology enrichment and recreation activities at four housing development sites to serve a total 240 students in various neighborhoods across the city.”

Posted on May 23, 2013 (Archive on Jun 23, 2013)Posted by mikestrott Contributed by mikestrott